Convertible ladder



N. A. RABELOS CONVERTIBLE LADDER Oct. 20, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1956 MO I ATTQQNEY .5 m5 W V IR 3 A s 0 g A L Q F m a w v v Q 6- m M W k 5' m. T ma m w .n all m Oct. 20, 1959 N. A. RABELOS I CONVERTIBLE LADDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jvlna 27, 1956 INVENTOR. NICHOLA$ A. RABELQS a g I A-r-roznev Oct. 20, 1959 N. A. RABELOS CONVERTIBLE LADDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 27, 1956 INVENTOR.

I N|CHLAS A- RABE Les BY m A'r-ro RN EY United States Patent flice 2,999,236 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 CONVERTIBLE LADDER Nicholas A. Rabelos, Atlanta, Ga., assignor of twenty-five percent to John L. Crawford, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application June 27, 1956, Serial No. 594,214

1 Claim. (Cl. 182-26) This invention relates to a convertible ladder and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is the cardinal object of the invention to provide a convertible ladder consisting of a main ladder section and an auxiliary ladder section, these sections being interconnected to form an extension ladder, a step ladder or a ladder in which the auxiliary section of the ladder may be adjusted to adapt the ladder for use in astair well.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a main ladder section and an auxiliary ladder section, the side rails of the main ladder section at the upper ends thereof being provided with a respectively upwardly inclined bracket, the outer free ends of the brackets being apertured and adapted to be selectively aligned with longitudinally spaced openings formed in the side rails of the auxiliary frame, there being securing means extended through the aligned openings to hingedly connect the ladder sections together, said brackets further having a projecting lug inwardly of the outer ends adapted to engage the side rails of the auxiliary ladder section in certain positions of adjustment.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide a ladder which may be readily erected as well as dismantled, of sturdy construction and safe in use, and one embodying few parts and therefore may be manufactured at a low cost.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ladder erected as a step ladder.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the ladder showing the ladder sections in a separated state.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the ladder sections arranged in the formation of an extension ladder, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the ladder, the ladder sections being interconnected for use in a stair well.

There is illustrated a ladder generally indicated by the reference character 10, which comprises a main ladder section 11 and an auxiliary ladder section 12, which may be of any desired lengths.

The main ladder section 11 comprises a pair of side rails 13 which are connected together by a plurality of horizontal rungs 14, and since this section is of tapered formation, the rungs 14 are progressively shorter in length in an upward direction. The ends of the rungs 14 are inserted in aligned openings formed in the side rails 13 and secured by means of glue and additionally retained by a nail 15.

At the upper end of each of the side rails 13 a bracket 16 is secured. Each bracket comprises a pair of spaced arms 17 adapted to embrace a side rail 13 and are secured on said rails by means of bolts and nuts 18. The brackets 16 are preferably secured upon the rails so as to extend in an upward direction at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, and apertures 17 being formed inwardly of the free end of the brackets for assembly purposes, as will be described.

Each bracket 16 is formed with an integral lug 20 positioned inwardly of the free end of the bracket and functions as a guide when the ladder section 11 is interconnected with the ladder section 12 as an extension ladder, as clearly shown in Figure 8, as well as to afiord abutting support for the rails of the ladder section 12 when erected as a step ladder, as best seen in Figures 1 and 9.

The upper ends of the side rails 13 are provided with a transverse slot 19 and within each slot there is swingably mounted a hook 21. These hooks may be swung from the inside to the outside of the rails 13 for support of a receptacle such as a cleaning pail or the like.

A chain 22 has one end secured to one of the rungs 14, the free end of the chain having a hook 23 for maintaining adjustment between the ladder sections 11 and 12, as will presently be described.

As clearly shown, the ladder section 12 employs a pair of side rails 24 connected together by vertically spaced rungs 25, these rungs being secured in openings of the rails as described in connection with the ladder section 11. The rails 24 are arranged in parallel relation so as to lie within the boundaries of the side rails 13 of the ladder section 11 as shown in Figure 2. Between the rungs 25 openings 25 are formed in the side rails 24, there being a similar opening 26 above the top rung which is provided with a metallic bushing 27. The openings 26 may be similarly hushed, these bushings being employed to prevent wear of the openings.

At a suitable point on the edge face of each side rail 24 of the ladder section 12, a downwardly opening hook 28 is secured, being so positioned as to clear the side rails 13 to engage upon a desired lung 14 of the ladder section 11 when the ladder sections are assembled as an extension ladder as shown in Figure 8. It will be noted that the ladder section 12 is to the rear of the ladder section 11 and with the upper end of the ladder section 12 slidable against the lug 20 and the hooks 28 engaging a rung, the two sections are securely supported in an extended position.

When it is desired to convert the ladder sections 11 and 12 into a step ladder as shown in Figure 1, the upper end of the ladder section 12 is moved inwardly toward the upper end of the ladder section 11 so as to align the openings 26 with the openings 17 of the brackets 17. A bolt 29 is inserted through the aligned openings and the main section 11 and the auxiliary section 12 are then secured in pivotal relation by means of a wing nut 30. In order to maintain adjustment of the two sections, the chain 22 is trained around a rung '25 of the ladder section 12, the ladder sections being moved to obtain a desired adjustment and the hook 28 is then engaged in a link of the chain preventing movement of the ladder sections. In fully erected position of the ladder sections 11 and 12, the lugs 20 will engage the side rails 24 of the section 12 and thereby prevent further movement between the sections.

When it is desired to employ the ladder in a stair well as shown in Figure 9, with the ladder sections 11 and 12 in a separated state, it is only necessary to secure the side rails 13 of the ladder section 11 in one of the lower openings 26, which will shorten the supporting position of the lower ends of the side rails 24 permitting these ends to rest upon an elevated surface as compared to the lower ends of the ladder section 11. r 7

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the ladder, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim;

I claim:

A convertible ladder comprising a main ladder section and an auxiliary ladder section, each section having side rails, spaced rungs secured between the side rails of each section, each side rail of the main ladder section having a bracket secured adjacent the upper ends thereof, each bracket having an inwardly and laterally projecting lug positioned intermediate of the length of the bracket and spaced from the rails of the main ladder section for slidably receiving the side rails of said auxiliary ladder section therebetween, the side rails of said auxiliary ladedge portions of the rails of the auxiliary section having contacting engagement with respective lugs when said ladder is in either of the aforesaid assembled conditions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 162,075 Halliday et a1. Apr. 13, 1875 1,984,655 Rassmussen Dec. 18, 1934 2,589,079 Heaivilin Mar. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Denmark J an. 2, 

